My Arch Nemesis

It's been a while since I have had an arch nemesis, but a new contender has emerged from the wings (that was a bad pun, you'll see). My arch nemesis is this feathered friend right here:


I was out jogging recently by the pond in our subdivision, when I felt something that felt like two talons nail me directly in the back of the head. I stopped, looked around, and saw no one, nor any sticks, rocks, or tree branches anywhere in the vicinity. It felt like a bird, and my suspicions would soon be warranted.

This morning, my cousin's fiancé was jogging in the same spot when the same thing happened to her, only twice. She looked up, and hovering above her was the dreaded red-winged blackbird. I did a little legwork, and found this bird to be quite common in my area. Also on the website was this useful nugget of information:

"The male Red-winged Blackbird fiercely defends his territory during the breeding season. He may spend more than a quarter of all the daylight hours in territory defense. He vigorously keeps all other males out of the territory and defends the nests from predators. He will attack much larger animals, including horses and people."

Moral of the story: If you are a person jogging near my pond, wear a helmet. If you are looking to build an equestrian center near my pond, try a different location.